Water-soluble polymeric films are commonly used as packaging materials to simplify dispersing, pouring, dissolving and dosing of a material to be delivered. For example, packets made from water-soluble film are commonly used to package household care compositions, e.g., a pouch containing a laundry or dish detergent. A consumer can directly add the pouch to a mixing vessel, such as a bucket, sink or washing machine. Advantageously, this provides for accurate dosing while eliminating the need for the consumer to measure the composition. The pouch may also reduce mess that would be associated with dispensing a similar composition from a vessel, such as pouring a liquid laundry detergent from a bottle. The pouch also insulates the composition therein from contact with the user's hands. In sum, soluble polymeric film packets containing pre-measured agents provide for convenience of consumer use in a variety of applications.
Some water-soluble polymeric films that are used to make articles such as packets will incompletely dissolve during a wash cycle, leaving film residue on items within the wash. Such problems may particularly arise when the pouch is used under stressed wash conditions, such as when the pouch is used in cold water (e.g., water at as low as 5° C. and/or up to 10° C. or 15° C.), in a short wash cycle, and/or in a low-water wash cycle (e.g., wash liquors from about 3 L to about 20 L). Notably, environmental concerns and energy cost are driving consumer desire for utilizing colder wash water and shorter wash cycles.
There remains a need for water-soluble films and related articles having the desired characteristics of good water solubility (e.g., cold water solubility), chemical resistance, chemical and physical compatibility with laundry actives or other compositions in contact with the film or pouch formed therefrom, and desirable mechanical properties including good processability.